The Official Port City Community Church Blog

Don’t forget that this Sunday (August 22nd) is Move Up Sunday!

That means if you have children in the family ministries they will advance to the next age appropriate group!

An example of this is if you’re child will be attending Kindergarten this coming school year they should begin to attend Treasure Island or if your child will begin Middle School this year they will begin to attend Tsunami.

Don’t forget that this coming weekend Ripple Effect and Grow Zone will being using the new computerized check in system…remember that key tag you got for your toddler? Ripple Effect students will have their own special way of checking in that won’t require a key tag!

For questions or more information in Move Up check out our website where you can email a staff member with questions.

And for more information on the Key Tag system check out our blog from a few weeks back!

Overflow has been around since January 2003 and it has always been Port City Community Church’s “twenty-somethings and college” ministry. Sometimes it was referred to as the “young adult” or “singles” ministry. Our mission behind Overflow has been: “To reach twenty-somethings and college students and help them walk with God.” Everything we did-our worship service on Tuesday nights, small groups, serving in the community, and even taking trips-was an attempt to connect with and serve both life stages. I think the other Overflow staff would agree with me when I say that it has always been in the back of our minds…”I wonder if this is working? I wonder if this is the most effective way to do ministry? Are we really reaching BOTH life stages well? What would it be like if we only served college students OR twenty-somethings?” We would have conversations about these questions, but we never did anything about it. If we were to let go of college students or twenty-somethings, one of these groups would feel let down, disappointed, or even abandoned. We didn’t want to do that. So we kept on doing what we always had done: both. And in the fall of 2009 we really started praying about what direction we should take and realized that it was time to make a decision.

Starting August 17th, 2010, Overflow will officially be Port City’s COLLEGE ministry. We are going to pour all of our time and energy and effort into college students. We are so passionate in learning better and new ways of investing in this life stage so this change only makes sense! I, along with other core students and leaders in our ministry, will be much more active on the campuses of UNCW and Cape Fear. Being available for students is a huge priority for the environment we want to foster and we want our ministry to be based on relationships formed with intentionality. We really want to know our students and do life with them.  This excites me more than anything! I know how crucial it was for me in college to find a Christ-centered community. Doing so opened up so many doors for God to challenge my ways of thinking about Him, church, and my college experience. College students are bombarded with more freedom than they’ve ever known or experience. There are so many decisions to make and temptations, struggles, and challenges to face and we want to meet college students in that place and help them walk through this stage of life with Christ as their focus.

We encourage the twenty-somethings that love Overflow to stick around and invest back into the college students. Who better to offer perspective then the people who have been in their shoes? We’re asking you twenty-somethings out there to jump in and serve the college students you know! Become a Small Group leader, volunteer on Tuesday nights with the Production Team or Host Team, there are also opportunities for you to Pray for these students!

I’m so excited to see God use Overflow in the coming years to effectively “reach COLLEGE STUDENTS and help them walk with God by helping them become fully devoted followers of Christ.”

submitted by Lauren Lefoe, Overflow Host and Communications Coordinator

We never seem to be on the same page. I can’t remember the last time we talked about “us.” Sometimes it feels like we’re more roommates than husband and wife.

Have you ever used these phrases to express the state of your marriage? Rather than togetherness, there have been moments of distance, detachment and loneliness. Instead of free lines of  communication, you have felt tentative, unsure and apprehensive on how to speak about the frustration you feel. It’s hard to pinpoint how it starts, but slowly you begin to drift apart. The demands of work, friends, family and kids can pull couples in opposite directions and take a toll on their relationship. Often our solution to the problem is to go out on a date night. Even though this time away helps, it only serves as a temporary fix or a moment of pause.  Before you know it, life gets in the way. So, how can you stay connected to your spouse in the midst of the chaos of life?

On Friday, August 20th from 7-9pm, we’ll take a deeper look into the answers to this important question at Square One. This evening is designed for married couples to connect with their spouse in a fun and engaging environment. Preregistration is required and you can sign up for this event after each service on Sunday or you can sign up online. Space is limited so sign up soon and please note that childcare will not be provided.

Last year, you helped collect over $20,000 worth of school supplies to distribute to kids in local schools.  Wish lists were provided, items were collected all over town, and volunteers manned the huge bus parked outside our front doors to PC3, receiving and stacking the supplies on seats, in the aisle, and anywhere they could possibly be stuffed inside. Here is the wrap up video from the 2009 Stuff the Bus:

Stuff The Bus 2009 from PC3 on Vimeo.

This year our goal is to increase our impact in schools by collecting even more supplies!  Next Sunday, August 1st, is the last day to pick up a wish list after the services.  We are stuffing the bus the following Sunday, August 8th.  Please bring your items with you to whichever service you attend, and drop them off at the bus before you go in.  And don’t forget: August 6th-8th is the official NC Tax-Free Weekend!
Thanks for your dedication and commitment to help make our schools an even better environment for our local students to learn and thrive.  We’ll see you at the bus!